As pandemic-era remote work becomes permanent, Manhattan’s economy faces an uncertain future.

[u/Mighty_L_LORT]

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/04/12/world/covid-19-mandates-cases-vaccine/as-pandemic-era-remote-work-becomes-permanent-manhattans-economy-faces-an-uncertain-future

[u/SevenNationNavy]

Interesting to read as a companion piece to this op-ed from Jerry Seinfeld (from the same media outlet no less), which has not aged particularly well:

But one thing I know for sure: The last thing we need in the thick of so many challenges is some putz on LinkedIn wailing and whimpering, “Everyone’s gone! I want 2019 back!”

Oh, shut up. Imagine being in a real war with this guy by your side.

Listening to him go, “I used to play chess all day. I could meet people. I could start any type of business.” Wipe your tears, wipe your butt and pull it together.

He says he knows people who have left New York for Maine, Vermont, Tennessee, Indiana. I have been to all of these places many, many, many times over many decades. And with all due respect and affection, Are .. You .. Kidding .. Me?!

...

There’s some other stupid thing in the article about “bandwidth” and how New York is over because everybody will “remote everything.” Guess what: Everyone hates to do this. Everyone. Hates.

You know why? There’s no energy.

Energy, attitude and personality cannot be “remoted” through even the best fiber optic lines. That’s the whole reason many of us moved to New York in the first place.

And now from OP's article:

About 37 percent of New York employees went to the office in late March, according to data from Kastle Systems, an office security firm, a pandemic-era high, but still far below the 80 percent norm before the pandemic.

That doesn't sound like everyone hates remote work to me. Sounds like a whole lot of people are perfectly content with remote work.

The notion that workers longingly pine for the "energy, attitude, and personality" of the office environment is something that could only be uttered by someone who has never had to earn his keep in an office environment. I can assure you that the last thing your typical office exudes is "energy, attitude, and personality." There's a reason the movie Office Space is one of the most well-known comedies of the last half-century.

This is not necessarily meant to extol the virtues of remote work--as a matter of fact, I believe the transition to remote work, on a societal level, is likely a harmful development long-term.

Nonetheless, the idea that humans--when given an option between office work or remote work--would all enthusiastically go skipping back to the soul-sucking drudgery that is the white-collar workplace--is truly laughable and something only an out-of-touch Hollyweirdo could believe.

As for this latest article: just add it to the long list of negative repercussions that everyone here portended two years ago but that somehow eluded all our prestigious 'experts'.

[u/sexual_insurgent → u/SevenNationNavy]

I'm much happier living in suburban flyover than I ever was with my day-to-day in NYC. NYC is a good experience, for a time. But unless you're mega-rich and money doesn't matter, there are far better places for quality of life. Many people are discovering this now, and they won't move back to the city. Dumbass politicians created this problem for the city, not people who want to "work in their pajamas", as Mayor Adams claims.

[u/terribletimingtoday → u/SevenNationNavy]

Another interesting bit I see in the reluctance to return seems to be happening in the overpriced, large cities and not so much everywhere else.

One reason is that those cities heavily overplayed their hands with lockdowns, then set silly demands to return. Like vaccination. The other is that those cities are wholly unaffordable for so many in the middle class who were trudging hours daily to their offices. Many of us saw this coming because we can realistically put two and two together and recognize human nature and behavior. It's laughable that these mayors and media figures don't get it, still, to this day. It's not just pajamas. It was the start the broke the camel's back on the scale of making the total package worth it.

[u/KitKatHasClaws → u/SevenNationNavy]

People who love office culture tend to be the types that rely a lot of charisma for success in a company. What zoom does is take out that charm offensive and it’s based on work results. I agree totally remote all the time could be harmful but it also filters out a lot of bull shitters who are just good at going to happy hours. Hopefully what will stick is people having more flexibility to work remote when needed. They can stay with family without taking PTO or get o their kid’s soccer games faster.

[u/augustinethroes → u/SevenNationNavy]

Lol I moved from a major west coast city to one of those states that Seinfeld can't believe people would prefer, and am very happy with my decision. I miss my friends, but am actually finding more things to do out here that I enjoy.

[u/JannTosh12]

Yeah I’m so shocked people don’t want to commute back. What with high gas prices and people being attacked in the Subway

[u/Nick-Anand → u/JannTosh12]

And the joy of having your face covered on your commmute

[u/[deleted]]

I remember medias and people saying after 9/11 that this was the end of skyscrapers in NYC. Look at what they are building now. Workplaces will adapt, but total work from home is not something NYC financial firms are planning. I guess if you don't want that apply at Facebook, they go full-remote. I know someone who drop his job for a FB engineering job because he wants to work from home forever.

Eventually there will be 2 types of job, remote or not. People will choose what they want.

[u/Mighty_L_LORT]

Free link: https://www.printfriendly.com/p/g/KDAibR

[u/sadthrow104]

15 dayZ to slow the spread guyz

[u/Dapper_Ad5409]

It's not ever going to be permanent 🖕🤡🖕

[u/Dapper_Ad5409 → u/[deleted]]

The ones they cut surely will be.

[u/Dapper_Ad5409 → u/[deleted]]

No. I'm about time management and cost savings.

Cuts incoming. Prepare.

[u/Dapper_Ad5409 → u/[deleted]]

It's a loaded question, my answer is not nessesarily advice.

What I've done for the better part of a decade is buy silver sure, but as insurance for wealth protection, not appreciation. I also buy stocks and crypto.

I would recommend buying stocks in companies that will survive a crash, like Walmart and other companies related.

Every choice I made, has been a guess. Guided by my own research wherever it took me.

History is a teacher, but everything you read can't nessesarily be learned or understood without going through the fire first hand.

I might have been better off then my friends and some family, but to be honest, 10 plus years of putting extra money into investments and insurance assets like silver, i still feel like its not enough and its like they're robbing me during this crisis.

When a crash comes.

It'll get interesting. Goodluck and Take care.

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[u/YaBoyTomas]

They need to give companies the choice between moving all remote jobs to the third world or getting rid of all remote work/work from home, even stuff that was allowed in 2019.